New Zealand - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

[hayleyearth]

Anyone have Rands for about $3000?

You pay from your SA bank account into my moms SA bank account (Nedbank) and I pay from my NZ bank account (ANZ) to your NZ bank account with the exchange rate as is on the day of transfer?

[ByronH]

Hi all. So I have been exploring and scouting about the North Shore for some time now... A few little decent MTB gems, but nothing very substantial. Suppose I'll need to drive to Woodhill, and Riverhead for that.

I have ridden (or tried to ride). 

• Unsworth (decent, but short)
• Kauri Glen Park (frustrating, lots of steps, and flipping "dieback fences")
• Onepoto/Onewa domain, Tuff Crater, Lake road  (lekker ride, but short),
• Centennial Park (only the outer loops, the inner loops are stair ridden)

I have also planned to ride

• Eskdale Reserve (but I am sure it is "closed off due to dieback")
• Le Boys Bush Reserve

My last visit to Riverhead scared me off because of the wet and ruts, but I will try a different route next time (if anyone has some decent advice or gpx files out there?).

I have upgraded to Trailforks Pro in the hope of getting some decent MTB riding on the North Shore. 

For those interested, I have uploaded some gpx files, or you can check out my Strava profile to see my successful/and not so successful, exploring. https://www.strava.com/athletes/4620187

 

Penguin to Okura.gpx centennial park.gpx Little Shoal Eskdale.gpx Unsworth.gpx Riverhead Blue 18.5.gpx Riverhead Blue 15.8.gpx

[Slowbee]

This is a quick visit. I am alive.

PS Hayley...you get the PM?

 

 

[Wayne Potgieter]

Holy heck man. I need the summer to start already.

Need some consistent sunshine in my life.

 

Right, who is going away for December/January holidays and where are you going? #inspireme

[Slowbee]

11 hours ago, Wayne Potgieter said:

Holy heck man. I need the summer to start already.

Need some consistent sunshine in my life.

 

Right, who is going away for December/January holidays and where are you going? #inspireme

Dunedin, to go play with dolphins, get some pics of the royal albatross, spend time in the waves, in the warm pools and of course lots of tramping and exploring the back roads.
 

[Wayne Potgieter]

10 hours ago, Slowbee said:

Dunedin, to go play with dolphins, get some pics of the royal albatross, spend time in the waves, in the warm pools and of course lots of tramping and exploring the back roads.
 

There is a lovely little Italian restaurant right by that beach (I think its called the Esplanade). Highly recommend. Have a great time!

[patches]

23 hours ago, Wayne Potgieter said:

Holy heck man. I need the summer to start already.

Need some consistent sunshine in my life.

 

Right, who is going away for December/January holidays and where are you going? #inspireme

Nothing too exciting for us. The usual (or pre-covid usual) visiting the in-laws in Sydney for Christmas, then back to NZ shortly after to road trip down the east coast to the Wairarapa, across to the Kapati Coast and back up to Jaffaville.

I'm having South Island withdrawals. Looking forward to the Dusty Butt in Feb, and a bigger South Island road trip once INZ grants my mom a visa and I can get her over here (she applied for a Parent/Grandparent Visitors Visa during that period that INZ dropped the ball).

@Wayne Potgieter, did your in-laws come right with their visas?

 

[Wayne Potgieter]

4 hours ago, patches said:

 

@Wayne Potgieter, did your in-laws come right with their visas?

 

Yes

[rad006]

4 hours ago, Wayne Potgieter said:

Yes

Can I not have their Visa's instead? I will behave promise 🙂

[Steven Knoetze (sk27)]

Staying put for December ourselves. No travelling.
Safe travels to those able to, and post pics please.

[hayleyearth]

On 11/23/2022 at 10:17 AM, patches said:

Nothing too exciting for us. The usual (or pre-covid usual) visiting the in-laws in Sydney for Christmas, then back to NZ shortly after to road trip down the east coast to the Wairarapa, across to the Kapati Coast and back up to Jaffaville.

I'm having South Island withdrawals. Looking forward to the Dusty Butt in Feb, and a bigger South Island road trip once INZ grants my mom a visa and I can get her over here (she applied for a Parent/Grandparent Visitors Visa during that period that INZ dropped the ball).

@Wayne Potgieter, did your in-laws come right with their visas?

 

My folks were granted their grandparents visa. I just keep on adding letters to state the process steps has been completed.

 

Talking summer... Yes... Where is it?

 

About the holidays, we are going back to SA for 7 weeks can't wait for all the baby sitting and having some time for myself.

[patches]

13 hours ago, hayleyearth said:

My folks were granted their grandparents visa. I just keep on adding letters to state the process steps has been completed.

Talking summer... Yes... Where is it?

About the holidays, we are going back to SA for 7 weeks can't wait for all the baby sitting and having some time for myself.

Nice!

Did they apply before 1 August?

 

 My Mom applied right in the middle of that period 😒 

 

[hayleyearth]

43 minutes ago, patches said:

Nice!

Did they apply before 1 August?

 

 My Mom applied right in the middle of that period 😒 

 

Applied on the 30th Aug.

Visa approved on 1st Nov.

[patches]

Just now, hayleyearth said:

Applied on the 30th Aug.

Visa approved on 1st Nov.

Dammit INZ! My Mom applied Aug 26 and still sitting on that "Lapsed" status.

[hayleyearth]

2 minutes ago, patches said:

Dammit INZ! My Mom applied Aug 26 and still sitting on that "Lapsed" status.

Did she send het passport to be 'viewed'?

Did she go for medicals yet?

 

[patches]

13 minutes ago, hayleyearth said:

Did she send het passport to be 'viewed'?

Did she go for medicals yet?

 

Yup! She went to PTA for passport viewing and had her medical at the one-and-only Dr Cobb (who nearly every JHB Saffer immigrant has been to, haha).

So yeah, seems she was just unlucky enough to get mixed in with the backlog.

Edited December 1, 2022 by patches